Browse Topic: Nanotechnology
Conveyor belt fault detection is critical for ensuring the safety and efficiency of industrial material transportation. In this study, a screen-printed flexible strain sensor based on a thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) substrate and graphene conductive ink was fabricated. The sensor exhibited excellent flexibility, mechanical robustness, and stable electromechanical performance. Comprehensive evaluations were conducted, including microstructural analysis, strain sensitivity, hysteresis, dynamic response, and long-term cycling stability. The results demonstrated that a two-layer graphene configuration achieved an optimal balance between sensitivity and structural stability, showing high gauge factor, fast response, and reliable cyclic performance. Furthermore, the sensor was applied to conveyor belt fault monitoring. Experiments validated its ability to detect both halting faults and foreign object intrusions, with distinctive resistance signal features enabling not only fault occurrence detection but also identification of fault location, type, and severity. These findings highlight the potential of the proposed flexible sensor system as a promising solution for intelligent conveyor belt monitoring in harsh industrial environments.
As computer chips continue to get smaller and more complex, the ultrathin metallic wires that carry electrical signals within these chips have become a weak link. Standard metal wires get worse at conducting electricity as they get thinner, ultimately limiting the size, efficiency, and performance of nanoscale electronics.
AMS6885/5 is the Material Specification (MS) which defines the requirements of a unidirectional carbon fiber tape epoxy repair prepreg capable of curing under vacuum for repair of carbon fiber reinforced epoxy structures. It also defines the requirements of an epoxy film adhesive to be applied in a co-bonding process with the prepreg for solid laminate and sandwich bonding.
The electronic and magnetic properties of two-dimensional materials both have strong potential for technological applications. Researchers have long assumed that they are distinct phenomena, but Illinois Grainger engineers have demonstrated that they share a mathematical language.
Defense Advaned Research Projects Agency (DARPA) Arlington, VA
Using waste to purify water may sound counterintuitive. But at TU Wien, this is exactly what has now been achieved: a special nanostructure has been developed to filter a widespread class of harmful dyes from water. A crucial component is a material that is considered waste: used cellulose, for example, in the form of cleaning cloths or paper cups. The cellulose is utilized to coat a fine nanofabric to create an efficient filter for polluted water.
Researchers have produced purified single-wall carbon nanotubes that could enable the development of significantly more accurate healthcare sensors. Because certain biomolecules — such as female hormones — are present in the body at extremely low concentrations, next-generation biosensors must detect minute fluctuations with far greater sensitivity than current glucose monitors.
Researchers at NASA have developed new methods to manufacture carbon materials (e.g., nanotubes, graphene) with holes through the graphitic surface of the particles. The methods generate materials with increased accessible surface area, increased functional groups at damage sites, and improved through-surface molecular transport properties.
Engineers have developed a technique for inkjet printing arrays of special nanoparticles that enables the mass production of long-lasting wearable sweat sensors. These sensors could be used to monitor a variety of biomarkers, such as vitamins, hormones, metabolites, and medications, in real time, providing patients and their physicians with the ability to continually follow changes in the levels of those molecules.
NASA has developed an innovative combination of a Magnetometer, low-powered ElectroMagnets, and Resonant Inductive Coupling (MEMRIC) to create and control relative positioning of nano satellites within a cluster. This is a game-changing approach to enable distributed nanosatellite (nanosat) clusters. The focus is on low-cost propulsion, navigation, and power sharing. Each of these functions can share the same basic technology.
Green hydrogen, produced through water electrolysis, is a next-generation eco-friendly energy source as it does not generate pollutants like carbon dioxide during production. Catalysts play a crucial role in the water electrolysis process, splitting water into hydrogen and oxygen. The efficiency of green hydrogen production largely depends on the performance of these catalysts. Therefore, the commercialization of green hydrogen hinges on the development of cost-effective catalysts capable of maintaining high performance over extended periods.
Over the past decade, significant progress in nano science and nanotechnology has opened new avenues for the development of high-performance photovoltaic cells. At present, a variety of nanostructure-based designs—comprising metals, polymers, and semiconductors—are being explored for photovoltaic applications. Advancements in the understanding of optical and electrical mechanisms governing photovoltaic conversion have been supported by theoretical analyses and modeling studies. Nevertheless, the high fabrication cost and relatively low efficiency of conventional solar photovoltaic cells remain major barriers to their large-scale deployment. One-dimensional (1D) nano materials, in particular, have introduced promising prospects for enhancing photovoltaic performance owing to their unique structural and electronic characteristics. Nanowires, nano rods, and nanotubes exemplify such 1D nanostructures, offering substantial potential to improve photon absorption, electron transport, and charge collection within photovoltaic devices. Graphene, a two-dimensional (2D) atomically thin lattice of carbon arranged in a hexagonal configuration, has emerged as a material of exceptional scientific interest. Its superior mechanical properties are attributed to the sp2-hybridized covalent bonds formed by three of the four valence electrons of each carbon atom with neighboring atoms. The remaining delocalized electron contributes to the remarkable optoelectronic properties of graphene, including its exceptionally high carrier mobility, which surpasses that of many conventional conductive materials. Furthermore, graphene thin films can be fabricated through a range of solution-based processing techniques, such as spin-coating, thereby enabling cost-effective, scalable, and versatile production. In the present study, a graphene-based two-dimensional solar cell is modeled and analyzed using the finite element method (FEM) to investigate its photovoltaic behavior and performance characteristics. It is found that the cell potential is 3.85V, VoC is 4.05V, Load cycle current is 4.25V with the surface temperature as 319K. The battery gets saturated at 1500s with graphene. Meanwhile, lithium battery produces cell potential as 3.05V, VoC is 3.05V, Load cycle current is 3.25V. Thus, grapene shows an improvement of 8% in cell potential, 25% in load current value. Lithium battery used for cell phones has the Qn=3500mAh capacity. In graphene, it is 3958mAh with an improvement of 13%.
A team of Caltech engineers has developed a technique for inkjet printing arrays of special nanoparticles that enables the mass production of long-lasting wearable sweat sensors. These sensors could be used to monitor a variety of biomarkers, such as vitamins, hormones, metabolites, and medications, in real time, providing patients and their physicians with the ability to continually follow changes in the levels of those molecules.
NASA has developed an innovative combination of a Magnetometer, low-powered ElectroMagnets, and Resonant Inductive Coupling (MEMRIC) to create and control relative positioning of nano satellites within a cluster. This is a game-changing approach to enable distributed nanosatellite (nanosat) clusters. The focus is on low-cost propulsion, navigation, and power sharing. Each of these functions can share the same basic technology.
Lyten is best-known as the developer of next-gen lithium-sulfur (Li-S) battery technology. SAE Media spoke with Keith Norman, Lyten's chief sustainability officer, on how 3D Graphene is getting Lyten to branch out into motorsports.
Engineers can now capture and predict the strength of metallic materials subjected to cycling loading, or fatigue strength, in a matter of hours, not the months or years it takes using current methods. In a new study, researchers from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign reported that automated high-resolution electron imaging can capture the nanoscale deformation events that lead to metal failure and breakage at the origin of metal failure.
Researchers have developed a new type of sensor platform using a gold nanoparticle array. The sensor is made up of a series of gold disk-shaped nanoparticles on a glass slide. When an infrared laser is pointed at a precise arrangement of the particles, they start to emit unusual amounts of ultraviolet (UV) light.
A new bendable supercapacitor made from graphene has been developed that charges quickly and safely stores a record-high level of energy for use over a long period. The technology overcomes the issue faced by high-powered, fast-charging supercapacitors: they usually cannot hold a large amount of energy in a small space.
Heat shrink polymer is a type of material used in many industries’ segments due to their ability to contract and fit snugly around objects when heat is applied. These products are commonly commercialized in tube format (e.g.: sleeves), made from polyolefin or fluoropolymers, which have the property of shrinking when heated. Nanomaterials present many applications, and their usage is a remarkable tool aiming to improve many properties of materials. Then, many improvements including increase of performance and price reduction may be achieved due to its unique properties when nanomaterials are used into heat shrink polymer sleeves. This work presents a systematic review about the state of the art on heat-shrinkable materials for the automotive industry. As a methodology, articles from the last 10 years on the subject were selected. The keywords “heat shrink” AND “nanomaterial” AND “tubes OR sleeves” were used in three different databases, being “Scopus”, “Web of Science” and “MDPI”. After using the keywords, articles only in English were selected, excluding conference and review articles. As a result, 513 articles were obtained. Those that use polyethylene as a matrix for the heat shrink were selected, being the main scope. As a result, 53 articles were obtained, using exclusion and inclusion criteria. The main nanomaterial used in the studies was montmorillonite with 27 articles, followed by other nanosilicates, such as nanoquartz among others. Graphene and its derivatives also appeared in the research, with 6 articles. Finally, new trends were found for the use of nanofillers and other matrices can also be explored in the future, such as polypropylene.
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